


Homemade Pizza

by watermelonriddles



Series: It's A Date [2]
Category: Good Girls (TV)
Genre: Dating, F/M, Soft Rio (Good Girls)
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-07-01
Updated: 2019-07-01
Packaged: 2020-06-02 06:13:16
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,127
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19435555
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/watermelonriddles/pseuds/watermelonriddles
Summary: Ruby blinks a few times as she leans forward, turning her head to the side a little as if to hear better. "Come again?"Annie, meanwhile, is doing a very good interpretation of a fish which Beth just about catches out of the corner of her eye and she almost laughs but then her sister is speaking again so she focuses back on her closet.”You’re going on a date with gang friend?""Can we maybe not call him that?""How did that happen?" Ruby asks as she wanders closer to the bed."And why?" Annie throws in as she also walks up to the bed, the only difference being that she unceremoniously throws herself onto it, lying on her front near the pile of clothes.— After the success of the Aquarium, Beth and Rio go on their second date.





	Homemade Pizza

**Author's Note:**

> So, this is a follow up/sequel to my fic 'The Aquarium'. You can probably get away without reading that one but the events of it are mentioned throughout this fic so it's up to you if you choose to or not. :)

Beth is throwing things from her closet onto the bed when Annie and Ruby walk in. They both stand near the bedroom door, watching her curiously as she picks up yet another dress and groans in frustration before tossing it onto the bed, only adding to the growing pile of clothes. The pair of them share the same quizzical look before they put their focus back on her.

"Having a clear out, sis?"

"No, I have a date of sorts in…” she glances over at the clock on her nightstand, "just over an hour."

"A date?" Ruby questions. "With who?"

“Yeah,” Annie agrees. “How did we miss that?"

"It's with Rio," Beth says, turning her attention back to her closet because there’s no way on Earth she’s going to be able to look either of them in the eye right away.

Ruby blinks a few times as she leans forward, turning her head to the side a little as if to hear better. "Come again?"

Annie, meanwhile, is doing a very good interpretation of a fish which Beth just about catches out of the corner of her eye and she almost laughs but then her sister is speaking again so she focuses back on her closet.

”You’re going on a date with gang friend?"

"Can we maybe not call him that?"

"How did that happen?" Ruby asks as she wanders closer to the bed.

"And why?" Annie throws in as she also walks up to the bed, the only difference being that she unceremoniously throws herself onto it, lying on her front near the pile of clothes.

"We've been hanging out a lot lately with the kids," Beth says as she turns back to the bed. "Can you please help me find an outfit?"

Ruby is sceptical but she begins to go through the pile of clothes nonetheless. "What kind of date are we talking about?"

"I'm going to his," Beth explains. "We're having homemade pizza."

"Is he making it or are you making it together?"

That makes her pause. "I... Actually have no idea. Does it matter?"

"Well," Ruby starts, holding up a dress that Annie automatically shakes her head at. "You're gonna want to avoid anything that could get ruined if you get sauce and stuff on it."

"So," Annie says, automatically putting two dresses in the ‘no’ pile. "Homemade cooking at his place for the first date? Gang friend is either a cheap date or he really wants to impress you."

"Rio," Beth corrects. "And it's technically our second date."

Ruby and Annie both gawk at each other before turning their attention back to her. The former saying "excuse me?" at the same time as the latter says, "since when?!"

"We went to the aquarium yesterday," Beth supplies like it’s no big deal. She really doesn’t want it to turn into a thing when in reality it was an accidental date in the first place. "We were meant to take the kids but Marcus had to be elsewhere and mine were sick so we just decided to go anyway."

“Did you get that at the aquarium?"

Beth looks down as Ruby points out the dolphin necklace. She reaches up to play with it a little. "Yes. Rio got it for me."

"Wow." Annie breathes out slowly, nodding her head a little. "So this is a big deal?"

"I don't know," Beth admits. _I want it to be,_ is what she’s thinking, but really she has no clue. This is unknown territory. "It went really well and then he invited me over and now I have less than an hour to get ready and I'm freaking out."

"Wear this."

Ruby holds up the purple dress with flowers that she had worn to Kenny's eleventh birthday. She remembers the fact that Rio had shown up to the house that day and she wonders if he'll remember the dress. It’s one of her favourites and it always made her feel good when she wore it. At the party, she had been so caught up in the moment of worrying how it might look to her guests and what questions they might ask in regards to Rio. Then there was the fact that he had a gun and there were countless children running around her house. This evening was going to be an entirely different scenario. She was going to feel good and this time she could actually appreciate his presence.

Annie nods her approval. "Yeah, you look _good_ in that dress."

"And, you were wearing this while you prepared the last of the food for Kenny's birthday and nothing ever got on it," Ruby points out. "I would call that luck."

"It would also be comfortable," Beth adds, deliberately not reminding them that Rio had also been there that day. "But still kind of dressy."

“See?” Annie says, actually sounding surprisingly excited about the whole thing. “A winner!"

"Go put it on," Ruby says, tossing her the dress.

Throwing it over her shoulder, Beth wanders into the en-suite and shuts the door behind her. She deposits the dress onto the closed toilet lid before turning her attention to the sink. She brushes her teeth and adds the final touches to her makeup - face powder, faint blush, coral lipstick - before pulling her hair up into a bun at the back of her head. When she's as happy as she's ever going to get, she pulls the dress on.

She turns a little in front of the mirror to get a look at every angle. It still fits just as well as it did, better even and it’s even clearer to her now why she loved it so much. Unfortunately, it doesn’t last too long because something - maybe the same small part of herself that goes into overdrive and jumps to the wrong conclusion far too quickly - wants to ruin her evening. Not only is she reminded of the fact that Rio has seen her in this dress before and maybe he’ll actually like it but she’s also confronted with the memory that she was wearing said dress when Dean told her - lied to her - about having cancer.

Shaking herself a little, she tries to push that thought away because he isn’t going to ruin this for her like he ruined so many other things. Tonight is about her and Rio. She closes her eyes for a minute and thinks about how happy and content he had been to just sit there and watch the turtles. When she opens her eyes again, she takes a deep breath before finally leaving the bathroom.

Both Ruby and Annie are sitting on the bed now. Her clothes are all back in the closet and they've got some shoe options laid out. Beth didn't think she could love them any more than she already did but they were quickly proving her wrong.

"Oh, we are good," Annie says, holding her hand up for a high five as she looks Beth up and down.

Ruby raises a brow. "We? I picked it out."

Annie rolls her eyes. "Fine, _you're_ good."

With a satisfied smile, Ruby finally high fives her. "Although I guess you do get credit for sorting through her shoes.”

Speaking of, Beth steps closer and examines her options. She immediately vetos the two highest pairs of heels, they both seem a bit too much. The wedges are the next to go because they seem a little too casual. In the end, she's left with a pair of black slip on heels, a pair of dark brown ankle boots, and some red flats that she had honestly forgotten she owned. After a few moments of deliberation, she settles for the black heels. They're not too high and they'll be easy enough to slip on and off if need be.

Stepping into them, Ruby grabs her small black handbag to go with the shoes and she and Annie set to work in transferring the appropriate things into it while Beth grabs her coat that hangs on the closet door. By the time she has it on, Annie hands her bag over.

"Are you sure about this?" she asks, concern etched across her face now that things have settled a little.

Beth rolls her eyes and smiles a little. "Yes. I'm sure."

Ruby - standing directly behind - places her hands on Beth's shoulders and squeezes gently. "Well, you better go before you're late."

"And you better call us or text us at some point," Annie adds, pointing a finger at Beth's face. "I don't care how much time you've spent together, it's still gang friend and we haven't always had the best track record with him."

"I promise." She draws a cross over her heart, even ignoring the fact that Annie is still calling him ‘gang friend.' "Cross my heart and all that."

"She'll be fine," Ruby says but Beth can hear the slight hitch in her voice.

"Guys, seriously, it's just pizza. I'll be fine."

"Okay but still call us or something, yeah?"

"I will," Beth agrees.

"Right, well, get your ass moving," Ruby says, gently pushing her forward. "We'll lock up."

"Feel free to steal any of my food and drink," Beth calls over her shoulder. She can tell they’re both still worried and if she waits around it might make that self-doubt grow and cause her to stick around so she just keeps walking before their concern can get to her. "I really owe you guys for this!"

On her way to her car, she texts Rio to let him know that she's on her way so that way if she's late, he won't think she's stood him up. Thankfully, however, traffic is very forgiving and she manages to get green lights the whole way. She does get to his apartment a couple of minutes after six but it's closer than she thought it was going to be.

The nerves hit Beth as she makes her way up to his floor. It's stupid really, she realises that, but she can't help it. The aquarium had been something completely different. She had seen sides of him that she had been exposed to before but there was also an entirely different Rio that day. The way he had so excitedly watched the turtles swimming around their tank and how he hadn't tried to hide said excitement when he realised she was watching. It was so open and honest and Beth hadn't been able to stop thinking about it since.

It was a little nerve-wracking, not knowing if tonight would be as effortless. She knows there’s no real justification for feeling that way. Things are good between them, even before their little trip. Still, she could feel her stomach doing flips, even as she knocked on the door to his apartment.

"Just in time," Rio says as he opens the door.

Beth takes a moment to look him over. He's got on a pair of black jeans, one of those dark grey t-shirts she had found in his closet (in fact, she still remembers the feel of it beneath her fingers), and a black and white apron. She notices that he's not wearing shoes and his socks while being black, have little red dots all over them which upon closer inspection she realises are actually red and orange with a hint of blue and more specifically, they’re fireflies, not dots.

He glances down at his feet and smiles. “Marcus was obsessed with fireflies so he got me these for Christmas.”

She finally steps into the apartment, trying to ignore the way that tiny bit of information makes her heart sore. _Christ_. Getting over excited about turtles and wearing cute socks his kid got him for Christmas? In that moment Beth knew she was screwed.

“You remember where the kitchen is, yeah?” Rio asks as he takes her coat and bag from her and hangs them on the peg across from the front door.

She blushes at the teasing tone and nods her head ever so slightly. "Yes."

"Feel free to take your shoes off," he says, and she can hear the laugh in his voice that's threatening to bubble over.

For a moment she hesitates but then she does slip out of heels and leaves them neatly under where her coat and bag hang. She then heads towards the kitchen, Rio following on behind her.

"So, I made the base," he explains as he hands her a spare apron. "Thought we'd do the toppings together in case there was something you didn't like.

"Well, we need some cheese, any kind will do," Beth says as she ties the apron while Rio washes his hands. "Except blue cheese or anything like that."

He wanders over to the island counter where everything is laid out and pulls the mozzarella closer. "How do you feel about pesto on pizza?"

"I don't have it often because the kids don’t like it but it could be nice," she says with a slight shrug as she washes her hands. "What about mushroom to go with it?."

Rio nods his agreement as he sorts out the mozzarella and pesto. "Any meat? Anything green?"

"I have spinach sometimes," Beth says as she cuts the mushrooms. "And I'm okay with no meat unless you want some.”

He seems to consider it for a moment before shrugging. ”Nah. What we've got is good."

Together they begin adding everything to the pizza. At first, they try to spread it all out as evenly as possible but by the time they're done, it's not very pretty. It doesn’t help that Beth can't stop looking at Rio out of the corner of her eye. His concentration as he helps to make the pizza was both serious and adorable at the same time. There were a couple of times where it took her a few moments to realise that she had just been standing there, watching him, unmoving. One time, just as they’re finishing up, he catches her staring and she just about catches the smirk on his face as her eyes dart away and she focuses back on the pizza. She can imagine the amusement on his face as she began to blush.

While she puts the pizza into the oven, Rio grabs a bottle of wine and two glasses before settling at the side of the island counter. He pours and slides one over to her as she removes her apron. While she takes a sip, he removes his own apron and leans on the island counter, looking her over.

"I always liked that dress," he remarks.

Beth tries to hide her smile behind her glass but she knows it doesn't work because he gives that knowing smirk. "I'm glad you like it. It's one of my favourites."

"It was Kenny's birthday, right?"

Beth nods. "His eleventh. It was also the time you came back to pick up your boy-"

But she freezes because it hits her that said boy - Eddie - is dead. When she looks at him, he's drinking his wine and watching her carefully. His expression is unreadable but it's like he's waiting for her to say or do something.

"What was it like?" she finally asks.

"What?" He settles his glass down. "Killing someone?"

"Killing someone you care about."

"Who says I cared?"

“The first time I met Eddie something had gone wrong and you found a way to get him some kind of help," Beth remarks. "I'm sure it would have been much easier to just let him die but you didn’t."

“Maybe he served a purpose,” Rio suggests.

“Perhaps,” she agrees. "But you made me drive that truck to see if he told the FBI anything. I know that was so you could see where you stood and to know the level of damage caused but I think it was more than that.” He doesn’t say anything, just watches her impassively, waiting for her to continue. “I know you're thorough but I don’t think you’d be that thorough for just anyone. Plus, he was kind of young. A kid as you put it.”

"I didn't kill him myself," Rio supplies after a few moments of obvious deliberation. "I was there but I didn't pull the trigger."

"Right," she says but it still doesn't answer her earlier question so she watches him.

"You learn to cope and eventually you learn to separate it all." She swallows and nods her head a little. Rio offers up a small smile. "You alright, mama?"

"Yeah, I just… sorry I asked."

"Not what you wanted to hear?"

"It's not that. I’m just guessing you don't want to think about it ."

Rio moves around the island counter until he's right beside her. He places a hand on her hip and pulls her into him. His arm slips around her and with his other hand he reaches up to lightly brush her hair out of her face. She smiles up at him which he returns. The fact that he’s killed people or at least been present when they were killed has never escaped her. She’s grown accustomed to it even. She knows just how deep and dark his world goes and it would honestly be more surprising to her if he hadn’t.

"You can ask me anything, mama."

She gives him a disbelieving look but the statement alone is enough to lighten the mood again. "And how many times will you actually answer them?"

He smiles. "Won't know until you ask."

Beth rolls her eyes. "You're impossible, you know that?"

He answers her with a kiss, slow and deep.

* * *

Thankfully, accidentally bringing up Eddie didn't put too much of a damper on things. The mood had only continued to lighten after he kissed her ‘cause apparently kissing Rio was a good way to make Beth forget anything and when they pulled apart, he chased after her to try and kiss her again so it didn't seem to dwell on his mind either. If it wasn't for the pizza, Beth probably would have let him reclaim her lips but she simply smiled and twirled away from him to check on it.

It actually turned out better than it looked. They had definitely picked the right toppings and it had all been spread well enough that each slice was the perfect combination. While they ate, Rio had put on some records and the music - jazz - played quietly in the background. They talked and they drank and they ate. It was lowkey and yet probably one of the best dates Beth had been on in her entire life. There was something so effortless and intimate about it that everything - even considering her earlier blunder of bringing up Eddie - went just as smoothly has it had gone on their previous date.

Beth quickly lost count of how many glasses of wine she had drunk but she felt far too good to worry about it. She’s not drunk per se but there’s definitely a light buzz going on that makes her feel weightless and unbothered. At some point, after they finished the pizza, Rio took the dishes over to the sink and Beth used the opportunity to quietly slip away so she could phone Annie and Ruby.

After she fishes her phone out of her bag, she sits down on the ground by her shoes, waiting as the phone rings. She called Annie, figuring the two of them are probably still together, waiting to hear from her. It doesn’t take long before it’s quickly picked up and she’s greeted with both of them speaking at the same time.

“One at a time,” she tells them, unable to stop her ‘mom voice’ from coming through.

“Are you okay?” Annie asks before Ruby adds, “how's it going?”

“I’m perfectly fine,” Beth says, pausing to take a sip of her drink. “And it’s going great.”

“How great?” And she can hear the curiosity mixed with amusement in Ruby’s voice.

“He made the pizza base before I got here but we finished it off together,” Beth starts. “And we’ve just been talking and eating and drinking. He also likes jazz music.”

“I can see that,” Annie muses at the same time Ruby asks, “how much have you had to drink?”

“A good amount,” Beth admits, pushing down her temptation to tell them to speak one at a time. “Could still drink a lot more though.”

“How much has he had to drink?” Annie questions.

“Stop,” Beth says as she catches the concern in her sister's voice. “I’m fine. Trust me, guys, there’s a side of him you’ve never seen before. If you did…”

“What side?” Annie is still clearly worried, it's evident in her voice, but there’s now also a genuine hint of curiosity.

“He likes turtles,” she blurts out.

There’s a pause followed by stifled laughter before Ruby’s voice comes through. “Please repeat that.”

“He was watching them at the aquarium,” Beth elaborates. “And I’ve never seen him look so happy or content before.” She knows she probably shouldn’t be telling them all of this, that he might not find any amusement in it, but she’s going to tell them at some point (she just knows it) and they need to understand what she sees when she’s with him. “He also has these adorable firefly socks that Marcus got him.”

“Sweet Jesus,” Ruby mutters.

“Gang friend really does have a heart.”

“Yeah and I bet you’re hoping homeboy’s got enough room in it for you, huh?”

Beth’s mouth opens and closes repeatedly as Ruby’s words wash over her. “I.. I… _No_. I mean, what does that… What does that even mean?”

“Oh, come on, sis,” Annie says and Beth just knows that’s rolling her eyes. “You were with Dean for over twenty years and I don’t remember you once acting like this around him.”

She tries to swallow the lump in her throat. “Acting like what?”

“Giddy… Carefree… _Happy_.”

“And she means genuinely happy,” Ruby clarifies.

Sitting there on the floor, her back pressed against the wall, her legs stretched out in front of her, phone to her ear and a wine glass in hand, Beth considers that. And those details are important because she’s in Rio’s apartment, invited this time, and she certainly never expected these thoughts to come to mind especially not while sitting where she is.

She hadn’t necessarily been unhappy with Dean, at least not the entire time, but she couldn’t deny that there had always been room for more. It was sad to think that there was nothing about him specifically that had made her genuinely happy considering how long they were together for.

“You might be right.”

“About?”

“Rio,” Beth supplies. “I think I might like him. Seriously like him.” She sets her glass down on the ground and runs a hand over her face. “Christ, I sound like a teenager.” There’s silence on the other end. “Guys?”

“I mean, B… It’s not really a surprise.”

“Yeah,” Annie agrees. “Don’t get us wrong, the date was a surprise.”

“But you’ve had it bad for him for a long time.”

Beth puts her head back and groans. “Don’t say that.”

“Why not?”

And while she’s pleased there’s no more concern left in her sister’s voice, she’s not as pleased with the amused tone. “Because if you both thought it was obvious, I bet he did as well.”

“That’s a problem?” Ruby asks.

“Yes because… I don’t know… We’ve been hanging out and we’ve slept together and the whole time he must have seen how I looked at him and guessed what I was feeling, maybe even before I did…”

“Okay, if you’re about to suggest this is all a pity thing, I’m going to have to shut that down,” Ruby says.

She can’t help it. The more rational part of her knows that he isn’t playing her and it’s not a pity thing. There was something too genuine and real between them at the aquarium but at the same time that doubt is creeping up again. When it comes to herself, Beth is confident about a lot of things but twenty years of marriage that turned into constant cheating and lies has been quick to make her realise that things aren’t always as they seem. She knows Rio isn’t like that, truly she does, but she also knows that their history isn’t exactly normal.

“I know you’re right but…”

“But nothing, sis. I might be sceptical about gang- _Rio_ but he’s annoyingly upfront even when he’s being all secretive.”

“That doesn’t even make sense,” Beth points out.

“What she’s trying to say,” Ruby cuts in before Annie can say anything. “Is that he might not always be forthcoming with information but he’s calculated, right? He won’t waste his time pitying you.”

“But do you think he’s just humouring me?”

There’s a pause. “Are you asking if he likes you back?”

“Sis… Just ask him.”

Beth shakes her head. “I can’t ask him that.”

Suddenly, a noise from her right startles her and she looks over to see Rio watching her. He’s leaning against the wall, arms folded, eyebrow raised. “You alright down there?”

“Is that him?” Ruby whispers as Annie asks, “down _where_?”

“I… I’ve got to go,” Beth tells them. “I’ll call you both tomorrow at some point, okay?”

Hurried goodbyes and wishes of good luck come through the phone as Beth hangs up. As she reaches up to settle it back into her bag, Rio comes to stand in front of her. She’s not entirely sure what he’s heard and she’s sobered up far too much to be able to look him directly in the eye just yet.

“Was getting worried,” he told her.

“They made me promise to call,” she explains. “I think they were worried.”

“Makes sense.”

That does make her look up and he just shrugs a little, smiling. She picks up her wine glass then and Rio holds his hand out. She takes it and he helps her to her feet, never letting go of her, even when she’s completely upright. Instead, he leads the way back into the apartment, over towards where the record player is and it’s then that he finally lets go.

He changes the record to a different one - still jazz music - and takes her glass from her to place it on one of the shelves. The song that plays first is probably the slowest that’s played all evening and it’s entirely instrumental. It should make her feel better that it’s not a fast paced song but still, when Rio tugs her into him and it becomes evident that he wants to dance, she shakes her head.

“Come on, ma,” he says softly, already holding her close and swaying a little. “It’s just the two of us here.”

She wants to tell him that dancing is actually one of her favourite things to do. In fact, she loved it so much as a kid that she practically begged her father to go to dancing lessons. That had been before the piano and before he had left. The problem is is that in the last decade or more the only time she ever danced was alone in her house and when she’d been drunk with Annie and Ruby. She’s not entirely sure she can still dance, especially not with someone.

“If I step on your toes you’ve only got yourself to blame.”

He chuckles, warming her right to her core. “I’ll take the risk.”

So they dance and at first, it’s a little awkward. She stumbles a little at times and it doesn’t go unnoticed by her that it’s because she’s far too rigid and self-conscious about the whole thing. But the more they continue, the more Rio smiles ( _with_ her not at her - a very important distinction), the more she eases into it. He was always good at bringing out parts of herself she had completely forgotten about. And there was always that specification, the fact that all he did was magnify parts of herself.

By the time they’re three songs in, Beth is a lot more comfortable, even to the point that when Rio steps back to take a break, she keeps dancing. She moves slowly, deliberately. She can see him out of the corner of her eye, watching carefully, looking her up and down slowly as she moves. Her eyes close and her mouth parts slightly as she sways.

“I’m not humouring you,” he says suddenly.

She looks over her shoulder at him, still dancing. “Hmm?”

“ _Do you think he’s just humouring me_?” Rio says, repeating her earlier words. “Guessing you meant me.”

Beth bites her lip as she finally stops dancing, turning to face him instead. “I might have.”

“What couldn’t you ask me?”

“It doesn’t matter.” Because she’s not having that conversation, not yet, not when things are so good, not when there’s a chance it could all be ripped away.

“Right,” he says, nodding his head a little as he closes the space between them. He wraps an arm around her waist, drawing her in as close as possible. His head tilts to the side a little, a smile playing at the corners of his mouth. “So you like me, huh?”

Beth is pretty sure she hasn’t blushed so quickly or so deeply in her entire life and his grin doesn't help. She groans as she puts her head down, resting her forehead against his shoulder. “You heard that?”

“Lot of open space,” he reminds her. “Sound can travel pretty easily.”

“I didn’t think I was being that loud.”

He chuckles, the sound radiating throughout her. Her arms come up to wrap around him as she buries her face in the crook of his neck, breathing him in. His laughter dies away, replaced by a soft shudder.

“What happens now?” she asks, lips pressed lightly against his skin.

His arms tighten around her, holding her impossibly close. “We drink a little more, eat a little, dance a little. Maybe you even stay the night.”

“You want me to?”

“I wouldn’t have suggested it.” There’s a pause before Beth responds by kissing his neck. Light, feather kisses that make him shiver. “You want to ask me your question?”

“Not yet,” she admits.

“Hmm,” Rio says, arching his neck, granting her better access. “How’d you feel about skipping passed a few things?”

Beth kisses up his neck and plants some along his jawline. Her hands rest on his shoulders, giving her better leverage as she pushes up onto her tiptoes to press a soft kiss to the corner of his mouth. “What are we skipping to?”

“You’re impossible,” he tells her.

She answers him with a kiss, slow and deep.


End file.
